


She Sought Death on a Queen Sized Bed

by ElegantSufficiency



Category: Legend of the Seeker, Once Upon A Time - Fandom
Genre: Crossover, F/F, F/M, Post-Neverland, actually there's also implied Cara Mason/Regina Mills/Emma Swan feelings, implied Regina Mills/Emma Swan feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-09
Updated: 2013-10-09
Packaged: 2017-12-28 21:33:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/996951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElegantSufficiency/pseuds/ElegantSufficiency
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Lady Mills?”</p><p>Regina feels hope at the voice, perhaps there are small mercies in the world. “Hello Cara.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	She Sought Death on a Queen Sized Bed

**Author's Note:**

> Title from A Little Death by the Neighbourhood.

They land painfully on marble floors. It takes Regina a dizzy moment to raise her head and realize that this isn’t _her_ D’Hara. Not anymore.

It take her another moment to see the Sword of Truth and realize what’s happened. There’s a pang of regret. Then it’s gone. He was just another ally. But Regina was in short supply and her allies were dropping like flies. 

“Lady Mills?”

Regina feels hope at the voice, perhaps there are small mercies in the world. “Mistress Cara. What a nice surprise.”

“You’ve cut your hair.”

“As have you.”

“ _I_ didn’t.” she returns. Regina doesn’t smile. Instead, she takes a moment, nods and looks away. She must have done something right, because the next moment Cara’s nodded approvingly to the Mother Confessor. 

Emma, the two idiots and Henry are standing awkwardly around her, looking from the blonde in red leather back to her. Then the Mother Confessor steps down from her throne, deciding that now is the moment to question. “Who are you and how did you come here?” she asks not unkindly, but sternly. A true queen if Regina ever saw one. Even she finds herself shadowing in comparison.

Smartly, she steps back and allows Snow White to answer. As much as she despises the goody-two-shoes, she speaks Confessor. In another universe, Snow White would have donned the white dress and long hair as Kahlan Amnell does. But certainly not as well.

.

Regina’s thankful for Cara’s decidedly shut mouth. Instead of a prison cell and charges of crime against the Midlands, she’s given a room. Henry’s across the hall and the others are somewhere in the surrounding rooms of the hallway, she doesn’t care much to think about if her wall is the same as Emma, or the Charmings, or both on either side.

Flicking her wrist, she lights the fire and turns around to see Cara standing in her room. Tall, red and every bit as confident as Regina remembers. If a little less proud and edging on slight modesty. 

“You’ve changed.”

“As have you,” Regina replies, looking back to fire. She removes her jacket, placing it over an arm chair before returning to stand in front of the warm fire. The weather’s cooler than Neverland and Regina is thankful for it. “How?” she asks.

“Richard killed him. I helped.” Regina pauses, then nods. Darken Rahl made her look like the poster girl for sweetness and glitter kisses. But he had charm that she didn’t, and had swayed thousands to adore him. But it hadn't saved him, so there was no point being envious of that now.

“Kahlan and Richard have invited you down for dinner. They wants to hear about your lands.” 

Regina snorts, turning her head, “and if I refuse?” 

Cara only smirks. It’s a comforting one. For a moment, Regina thinks that maybe she should stay here. Let Snow and Charming return to back home to Storybrooke. But there’s Henry. And there might not be anything in Storybrooke for her, but he’s still her son. She won’t abandon him. 

“Are you still a Mord’Sith?” she asks. It comes out more vulnerable than she intended. If Cara notices, she doesn’t say anything.

.

Regina wakes to a soft, warm bed. It’d been too long since such a wakening, she’s almost hopeful that the past few years had all just been one long extended nightmare. But Cara’s hair is short, and there are new scars on her body that she doesn’t remember.

It’s nice enough. She relaxes her limbs, breathing out slowly as Cara slips an arm around her waist. Regina figures it’s been just as long for her as well, and maybe they can make the short time they have together mutually beneficial. 

.

At breakfast, Kahlan smiles knowingly but doesn’t say a word. She speaks about magic, about the world, and Regina doesn’t mind her so much. The Mother Confessor eyes Snow wearily and takes more fondness towards Emma. She doesn’t trust anyone however, not like her husband, and Regina respects her because of that. 

Though she catches her eye briefly, and she’s stunned to realize that Kahlan does know who she is. 

Richard, however, is every bit Charming’s twin, and she’s just waiting for them to go out and spar with their sword (which happens at lunch time and ends with Richard and James learning new tricks from each other. It’s pathetic. Even Cara grimaces at the new brotherhood.) 

In the hallway, as Kahlan’s returning to her duties after the midday meal, she takes a look at Regina and smiles softly. “Cara trusts you.”

“She shouldn’t,” Regina returns. 

“I’ve learnt to trust her judgement on people like you.”

Regina’s _almost_ offended. “And who are people like me?”

“Cara is.” Kahlan doesn’t trust her, but she’s giving her the benefit of the doubt.

Regina tries to argue, but the words stick in her throat. Kahlan just walks away. After a moment, Regina turns away as well, heading towards the library. She doesn’t want to think about that.

. 

On the second evening, Cara wakes her up in the middle of the night by getting into bed at some god awful hour. Regina tries to complain, but is quickly silenced by lips on her own and decidedly strong hands pinning her wrists still. Fingers entwining in something that _might_ have meant something once. Long ago. 

It’s comforting to have someone who understands what she needs. And too difficult to be angry at a Mord’Sith. But Cara doesn’t have limits and Regina’s forgotten how much she needed someone willing to give her what she needs, pushing her own limits in the process.

.

The third evening is a feast. She attends briefly, and then sleeps in Cara’s room. Her bed’s bigger and there are silk sheets. There are no Charmings here and Regina can finally be herself.

.

On the fifth morning Snow frowns as she sees Regina yawning, walking down the stairs. “At the library?”

“No.”

Regina’s amused by the puzzled expression. Because Snow’s sure that Regina’s sleeping across from Henry. But here she is, walking down stairs, looking like she just woke up. It takes Kahlan’s, “I’m happy for them.” for her to go.

“Who?”

“Cara and Regina. They’ve needed each other for a while now. I don’t think anyone else could ever comprehend what those two have been through.”

Snow blinks, blushes and Kahlan just drinks her tea calmly.

.

Henry, however, is still avoiding most conversation after Neverland. But he takes a curious interest in the Mord’Sith that Regina’s happy to answer his questions, if it means he’ll speak to her.

“Why do they wear leather?” “Why isn’t her hair long and in a braid.” “Do they all wear that exact outfit?” “Why’s hers different?” “What’s the rod-thingy?” “Can I touch it?”

“No!” is Regina’s immediate response to the last question. Cara’s snickering behind.

“So what do the Mord’Sith do?”

“We serve Lord Rahl,” Cara drawls, holding emphasis on the word _serve_. But Regina sees the way ‘Lord Rahl’ looks at the Mother Confessor, and she doubts there’s much _serving_ going on from Cara’s side. Or perhaps there is. It wouldn’t be the first time Cara was the third party in Lord Rahl’s bed.

“How do you serve Lord Rahl?” he questions.

“In many different ways,” Cara replies.

“Have you spoken to Richard about the Sword of Truth?” Regina cuts in, realizing suddenly that maybe Mord’Sith aren’t the best topic of conversation for him. Ever. She gives a look to Cara who just arches a single blonde eyebrow. Questioning her.

.

“You’ve really changed.”

“For better or worse?” Regina asks.

“Does it matter?”

“No. Not any more.”

She sighs, rolling over in the bed to fold her arms on Cara’s stomach, propping her chin down on top. Cara slides a leg up to balance herself as she props her own head up on pillows. “Are you sleeping with the other one?”

“Who?” Regina looks up, confused.

“The boy’s mother.”

“She’s not her mother,” Regina frowns. “She didn’t raise her.” 

Cara rolls her eyes. She doesn’t care either way. Regina’s his mother, Emma gave birth to him. Whatever. It’s all complicated bullshit. Everything is much simpler in the Midlands. “What would you have me call her then?”

“Emma.”

“Are you sleeping with _Emma_?”

“No.”

Cara’s quiet. Then: “Why not?”

Regina’s the one to roll her eyes this time. She turns her head, laying it down on her arms and thinking about how far everything’s come. After Neverland, after _everything_ , she just wants a simple life. And a lot of sex. That wasn’t a lot to ask for, right? It was obvious now that true love was only for princesses. 

“She wouldn’t come to bed with us,” is all Regina says in the end. Then, not liking the conversation, she sits up and almost gets out of bed before Cara pins her back down.

“There are other ways to change the conversation, Lady Mills.”

“I’m not Lady Mills any more.”

Cara raises her eyebrows, but doesn’t release her. Regina’s not sure she wants to be anyway.

.

Emma stares at her from across the table suspiciously.

“What?”

“You’re happier…” she says, narrowing her eyes.

Regina rolls her own, continuing to cut up her food gracefully into small bites. “I didn’t realize it was a crime.”

“It’s different.”

Kahlan looks at them wearily before turning to Richard and continuing the conversation. Emma misses it, Regina doesn’t. Cara doesn’t attend meals often. She takes to heading to the kitchen, taking what she needs and then leaving again. Something Regina would very much like to do. But mealtimes, even if it’s with the Charmings, still means spending time with Henry.

“Are you using magic again?”

“Hardly. I don’t like been flown back into a wall very much.” Emma looks at her oddly and it takes a moment to remember she doesn’t know about Mord’Sith. Regina doesn’t explain, however. If Emma wants to know she can damn well ask and look ignorant. 

But she doesn’t get a chance to watch Emma ask. Henry explains for her, which only makes Emma more confused. “But Cara doesn’t spend much time with any of-” she stops, eyes shooting up to Regina wide. “Oh.”

Regina doesn’t smirk, doesn’t smile. Doesn’t offer anything. And why should she? It’s not love. Her and Cara are purely mutually beneficial. They’d be a disaster in anything long term. But sex is easy and it’s nice to wake up next to warm body who isn’t asking for anything more than she can give.

Emma gives a strange expression, her eyes look away softly, giving only a last longing look, but Regina doesn’t reply.

. 

In the courtyard Richard and Charming are trying to teach Henry how to sword fight. Cara snorts, amused. Eventually she steps in and shows how it’s _really_ done. Effectively kicking James’ ass.

Regina’s almost certain she let Richard win by the skin of his teeth. Just enough to make it look like luck, but not too much to make it look fake.

Snow White, however, is nowhere to be seen and Emma seems to be considering asking Cara for lessons. 

Regina’s just waiting for Cara to offer her an agiel. Just to see what will happen.

.

Eventually they spend enough time in the Midlands. Well, _they_ spend enough time. Regina doesn’t quite want to leave. She’s taken to reading over Kahlan’s notes and understanding the laws. She might not be a Confessor, but there were a few things she tidied up that Kahlan had overlooked or not considered.

She was a fresh set of eyes and from “the future” in a way. Kahlan’s thankful, polite. And for the first time, people don’t look at Regina with fear or hate. It was...comforting.

But she wasn’t willing to leave her son. 

Cara, however, didn’t seem fussed either way. At least until Regina decided to leave with her son. Then there was a moment as James, Snow White, Emma and Henry said their goodbyes to the new friends they made. (James and Henry especially were reluctantly to leave without another ‘battle’ with Richard.) 

Cara took advantage of the moment as they all said there _long_ (ridiculously so) goodbyes, by leading Regina away to a last goodbye. 

Regina didn’t even hide the fact as she returned to the Grande Hall, hair mussed and smoothing down her clothes as Cara smirked behind her.

“Bring the blonde, next time. Try and leave the annoying ones behind.”

“My son isn’t annoying.”

Cara shrugged, “I always pictured my son to be like him.” Regina looks away, hurt to remember what happened to him. Nodding, she offered Cara a smile. “But Kahlan and Richard are enough. If I have to share a room with all four of them again, I will kill someone.”

“Kill them. I’ve been trying for years.”

Cara smiles, “At least I know I would succeed.”

“Sure. How did capturing and killing the Seeker go again?” Turning away, Regina takes a breath and returns to the others, ready to leave for home. Henry takes her hand and smiles. After two weeks here, he'd opened up to her. Emma even offers her a small smile and a soft look back at Cara. 

Maybe the Midlands were the beginning of a new start. Darken Rahl was dead, one of the last of her allies. Without him, perhaps the need to prove herself would fade. 


End file.
